Speria
The Kingdom of Speria, (which in recent years has been called the Co-Principality of Speria due to a current and escalating inheritance crisis,) is one of the thirteen Free Kingdoms of Engelain. Speria holds cultural importance in the fact that during the height of the Tyrannian Empire's reign, Speria's capital, (also named Speria but now referred to as Speria City to differentiate,) was the Empire's main hold in the region, and the entirety of Western Engelain was overseen from Speria. Speria has its origins in its capital, for which the region's name is derived. The city-state of Speria was built and bankrolled by the Tyrannian Empire, and was the cultural, economic and military power of the region. As such, during the secessionist war of the Free Kingdoms, it was the stronghold of Speria which was targeted as the heart of the Empire in the west, and it was the seizing and overthrowing of Speria that gave legitimacy to the claim that Westen Engelain would no longer fall under the rule of the Empire. Though the official state religion of the kingdom is that of the Church of Engelain, the country is known to have a high, underground support of the Tyrannian Church, and see the new Church of Engelain as blasphemous. As such there has been ongoing tensions between the ruling class of Speria, which was installed by the secessionist rebels after conquering the region, and the working classes of Speria who were members of the Empire and has had the Church of Engelain forced upon them. This has lead to Speria developing into a series of city-states which are mostly independent and insular, with high walls to keep out the various brigands, bandits and marauding revolutionaries. Magic in all forms is banned within Speria, no doubt a continuation of the Tyrannian Empire's tradition of only allowing members of the clergy to practise the mystical arts. Laws and law-keeping otherwise tends to differ between the city-states which comprise the majority of Speria's most inhabited areas, though all of the individual ruling families are subservient to the royal family of Speria, who has the executive right to distribute kingdom-spanning rulings. The ruling families in turn have the power to veto the ruling of the king, so long as the heads of each family is in unison that the decree should be overruled. In recent years, Speria has faced heightened tensions since the death of their king, Veneto Willbard. It was uncovered shortly after the pregnancy of his wife, Denyse Romeon, that she was plotting the king's assassination so that she may rule as regent. Being locked away for treason, King Veneto went on to marry Cathera Julius and have a child with her. Both wives gave to him a son in the same year, Prince Gasaad and Prince Dusteen, respectively. Though Gasaad is the eldest, there are those that believe his claim is null-and-void due to the annulment of his parents' marriage, whilst the legitimacy of Dusteen was later called into question when it was discovered that Queen Cathera was practising infidelity. King Veneto raised both sons as equals, and made no official proclamation as to which would be his successor, leading to the current inheritance crisis when the king died younger than expected of dysentery. The ruling families convened and eventually conceded to wait until both children reached the age of adulthood (fifteen in Speria,) before deciding upon their new king, reasoning that by such a time they would all have a clear picture on who should be crowned, (as they were both eight years old at the time of their father's death.) Lord Istar Florentia, a well respected figure whose wife is the sister of the deceased king, was chosen to take the regency. Since then, there has been a great divide in Sperian society. House Romeon believe that Prince Gasaad as eldest has the legal authority to inherit, and that the adulterous nature of Queen Cathera calls into question whether Prince Dusteen is even of the royal family at all. Conversely, House Julius believe that Prince Dusteen is the rightful heir, as Queen Cathera was only found to be a cheat many years later, arguing that in the spring of their marriage she was faithful to the king, and that Prince Gasaad being the child of a known traitor invalidates his claim. As both families vie for the throne and have incredible power, there has been an increase in violence breaking out all throughout the kingdom, but specifically in the capital where both forces try their best to prove they host the next lawful king.